Field of the Invention
The invention relates to optical fibers designed for space-division multiplexing (SDM). More specifically it relates to optical fibers that efficiently transmit optical signals in multiple modes without substantial crosstalk.
Background of the Invention
(The following may or may not constitute prior art.)
Previous work on multiple mode optical fibers for mode-division multiplexing focused on step and graded index (GRIN) fiber designs for optimized two LP mode fibers (having three spatial modes). We have also disclosed GRIN fiber designs with 1% core relative deltas, including a shelf and trench in the cladding, which are optimized to support four LP modes (having six spatial modes).